buôn quan tám bán quan tư
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Buy at eight quan, sell at four — commerce conducted at half price; the losing trade.
Literally: buy at eight strings, sell at four
Sources & notes
Discovered via Nam ngạn chích cẩm (Phạm Quang Sán, 1918; public domain, via vi.wikisource); retrieved 2026-08-01. Source: source ↗ Attested in Nam ngạn chích cẩm (Phạm Quang Sán, 1918). Definition is an original editorial synthesis, not copied from the source.
Common questions
What does “buôn quan tám bán quan tư” mean?
Buy at eight quan, sell at four — commerce conducted at half price; the losing trade. Literally: buy at eight strings, sell at four
Is “buôn quan tám bán quan tư” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.